PLATFORM
"I have been an effective member of City Council, successfully passing the legislation that I promised as a candidate and working diligently for budget solutions as either the Finance Chair or President each of my years on Council. Each year my colleagues put me in these positions trusting me as 'the numbers guy'. With the vacant office of Controller, I believe that putting my full focus into the finances of the City is the way I can best serve our neighbors."
LIST OF ISSUES
Pensions
The Controller's office is responsible for work on the pensions. Currently the City's Pension is distressed under Act 205. There has been great steps to address this but Chuck believes that there can be some further fine tuning to maximize cash flow into the program. Chuck has worked closely with the fund manager during my time on council and feel confident that the existing relationship is to the benefit of our residents.
Budget
During his time on Council, Chuck has identified issues with Treasury Management and reimbursable expenses that have saved the City $10m over the last term. None of these savings have affected services of the city. They have been as simple as providing examples of Treasury Management systems by the Commonwealth, changing capital expenses to maintenance expenses with ARPA funds for reimbursement, and shutting down projects that came in over budget until more funding could be acquired.
Capital Fund
As either President or Finance Chair, Chuck has always sat on the Capital Sinking Fund with the Controller. For the first time in the fund's history, no withdrawals have been made for 4 years. Capital expenses have instead been paid with funds that had lower return rates because of surpluses created by the American Rescue Plan and the Water Lease Prepayment. A lack of withdrawals paired with a strong market has caused the fund to DOUBLE in these 4 years, providing a return that will double the city's capital revenue in the future.
Supporting Council and Mayor
The role of Controller can benefit the decision making process of the various offices by providing independent assessment and performance review. Chuck has satisfied this role while on council by finding alternative solutions to decrease proposed increases to fees this past year. While the Mayor's proposal understood the need for increased revenue, Council's concerns led to Chuck finding ways to increase the revenues with only half of the originally proposed increase that residents faced.